Darth Vader expresses support for Flock cameras
The short version: A Darth Vader cosplayer's joke at a San Diego council meeting about the Empire loving Flock cameras lands closer to truth than comedy.
Our Take
Credit WTVG 13 Action News in Toledo for capturing a moment that says more about public sentiment than most policy briefings do. A man in a Darth Vader costume telling a San Diego City Council that "the emperor is a fan of Flock" is a punchline, sure, but it's also a pretty efficient piece of political commentary. When your surveillance network draws comparisons to a fictional authoritarian regime at a public meeting, that's not a great look, even if it gets a laugh.
The joke lands because it's not that far off. Flock's ALPR network has expanded into thousands of communities with minimal public debate, hoovering up location data on ordinary people who've done nothing wrong. Residents showing up in costume to make that point through satire is what it looks like when people feel like the normal channels for pushback aren't landing. Council members chuckled, but the underlying frustration is real and it's spreading to cities well beyond Toledo and San Diego.
If you want to see whether the Empire's favorite camera network has set up shop near you, check our map. And if you'd rather skip the costume and go straight to organizing your neighbors or your council, our take-action page has the tools.
This is DeFlock The USA’s original commentary. The video above is the work of WTVG 13 Action News | Toledo, OH, published on YouTube — full credit to the creator.